Oregon lags behind Washington and other states in testing workers for bird flu

Just a couple of years ago, agricultural and public health officials were hopeful that they could keep avian flu from thriving in Oregon. But thrive it did, and some Oregonians’ so-called backyard bird farms have been devastated by infections, as the birds must be euthanized if the virus is detected. It wasn’t too long before the bird flu jumped to dairy cows, whose milk must be dumped if infected. Commercial farms are eligible for payments from the the USDA to compensate for those losses, but smaller operations get no such help.

Just last month, Washington saw its first case of the virus taking hold in humans. A month later, Oregon had its first case, reported Nov. 15. The symptoms are mild in humans. Testing is relatively robust in states like Colorado, but Oregon and Washington are significantly behind what public health officials say is needed to monitor and maintain a healthy environment. We learn more about bird flu in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest from investigative reporter Rachel Spacek of InvestigateWest.